Ava Vidal, Newcastle upon Tyne

In recent years, a host of unlikely comedy experts from Christopher Hitchens to Germaine Greer have chipped in to opine on exactly why women can't do comedy. One of the many bullshit theories that's been advanced is that women are too naturally conciliatory – too willing to accommodate the needs of others – to be able to dominate rooms in the way that stand-up comedy often requires. None of this applies to Ava Vidal, who is about as accommodating and conciliatory as a killer whale on Frozen Planet that's just spotted a baby seal to dine on. What Vidal does so well is icy, withering disdain, and nothing escapes the glare of her sarcasm and brilliantly well-constructed put-downs; not boyfriends, best mates or even her own kids. But she's at her very best when using her dismissive powers on those who deserve it most: people who criticise her parenting, or those brave souls who think it's a good idea to come up to her in a pub and start talking about golliwogs.

The Stand, Newcastle upon Tyne, Thu & Fri

Ben Target, London

Ben Target

Given how so many young male comics seem to be variations on the same template (cool hair, gently laddish attitude, light observational material), it's a pleasure to come across someone who's truly unusual. Ben Target (he pronounces it "Tar-zhay") certainly falls into that camp. A hugely gifted prop comic whose shows are in equal parts delightful and unsettling, he was one of the most talked-about new acts at this year's Edinburgh fringe. There's something of Andy Kaufman in his willingness to push the boundaries of audience patience in order to find new ways to make people laugh, and you get the sense that despite all the silliness, this is someone who takes comedy very seriously as an art form. Time will tell whether Target can take his wonderfully unorthodox approach to comedy to the next level but he certainly seems to have all the ingredients to succeed.

The Invisible Dot, NW1, Tue & 29 Nov

Lewis Black: The Prophet, CD/download

Lewis Black

Comedy Central, not content with consistently producing most of the best cutting-edge US TV comedy (check South Park, The Daily Show and The Colbert Report for starters), is increasingly moving into the audio market, helping to bring some of the most interesting voices on the American alternative scene to the attention of a wider audience. Take, for example, Lewis Black: this husky-voiced stand-up is a frequent contributor to The Daily Show as well as appearing in his own Comedy Central specials, where his particular brand of iconoclastic telling-it-like-it-is wisdom has won him plenty of acclaim. The Prophet may not be the perfect entry point for those new to Black, since it's something of a historical piece, recorded in the early-90s as he was still finding his comic voice, but for those who want more of his enjoyably passionate yet never preachy style, it's a real treat.